


Cuisine Amour

by Criminally_Insane_Bout_Fandoms



Category: Tom Hardy - Fandom
Genre: Actors, Actresses - Freeform, Culinary, F/M, Love, Slight love triangle, Tom Hardy - Freeform, chef
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-08-19 03:50:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8188526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Criminally_Insane_Bout_Fandoms/pseuds/Criminally_Insane_Bout_Fandoms
Summary: Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.~ Harriet Van Horne. 
 
Fresh out of culinary school, Quinn Beckel scours London for a job as a private chef. Unfortunately, those aren't in high demand nowadays, and it becomes an almost impossible task to find a decent paying job. Her luck takes a turn for the better, and she's recommended to a newly divorced man who doesn't know a thing about the culinary arts. She begins to fall in love with the thought of cooking for someone who is known among the celebrity community, however she comes to find that her newest employer has a bit of an attitude problem.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for anyone who is reading this! I have decided to write a fix on the amazing actor Tom Hardy, because why not? I love to hear feedback, so any positive feedback is welcome!

Culinary school kicked my ass. I should've been used to being yelled at on a constant basis, due to my harsh childhood years, but it had really got to me. The weight that had lifted off my shoulders once I graduated was incalculable. Food was my passion, and I had planned to travel abroad. Taste things I had never heard of and cook for people I have only imagined meeting.

Not this ass-hat who thinks I'm cooking a simple grilled cheese wrong. He stood, against the counter with this thick arms crossed over his broad chest. The teal colored eyes that stared back at me were stern, trying to shrink me down.

“What do you mean, I'm doing it wrong?” I ask with my eyes squinting together.

“That's just not how you do it.” I wanted to pick up the pan in front of me and wipe that smirk off his face. His condescending voice made me turn my torso back towards the oven in front of me.

_Five Months Earlier._

Sweat began to form along my hairline, and race its way down my face. The collar of my chef coat seemed like it was starting to constrict, so I reached up and tried to pull it away from my damp neck. The steam coming from the stock pot wasn't helping, so with a quick stir I quickly replaced the top.

“Beckel! I needed that stock yesterday!” My frantic eyes shot up to where our head chef, Dylan, was standing and nodded quickly.

“Yes Chef!” Grabbing an ivory colored bowl, I snatch the ladle from its resting spot, and dipped it into the wonderful smelling stock. Dylan walked by and grabbed a spoon, tasting in and nodding in approval.

“Finally, S’good. Plate it.” I quickly filled it up, and used the towel hanging from my shoulder to clean the rim. My legs carried me quickly through the kitchen and I carefully put the dish with the rest of the order. The order was picked up, and I watched it disappear behind the black double doors.

Tonight, was my last night in this all too familiar kitchen. I had graduated from Culinary School a week prior, but didn't seem to have the heart to leave the kitchen yet. I like to think I love everyone here at Leith’s School of Food, and seeing as I was on a full ride scholarship, I tried to enjoy my time here as much as possible.

The kitchen was soon to close for the night, and my heart sunk at the idea. All too soon, our last order was finished and we all stood, cleaning the rest of our stations. I scrubbed my metal table of a station and waited until I saw it shine before I finally stopped.

“Ya know, we're all going to miss you here.” The unusually somber voice came from behind me, so I quickly turned to see if it was who I thought. There stood Callum, his big brown eyes staring at me. I could see the bright red bandana that kept his shoulder length hair back, hiding underneath his chef hat.

“Oh, no you won't! I don't plan on going back to the states anytime soon, so I'll still be in London.” I nonchalantly shrugged and wiped my table one last time for good measure.

“Of course, we will! Dylan most of all! You're his little pet and you know it!” His mischievous tone was back, and his big eyes glinted like a fox’s.

“Ha-Ha. Very funny.” Before he could respond to my comment, Dylan walked in with his usual stance. Chest poked out, arms crossed, and hazel eyes roaming the large kitchen.

“Great job tonight. I'd like to say Bon Voyage one last time to our friend Quinn.” He raised a flat palm towards me and applause erupted in the kitchen. I could practically feel Cal’s knowing smirk burning into the back of my head, but I shook it off with a grin.

“Thank you, I enjoyed my time here. I had a great teacher to help me through!” There were a few laughs, and Dylan just shook his head.

“Yeah, whatever! Okay everyone, you're dismissed! Go home and relax!” With that, everyone flooded out and into the back room where our things were stuffed in lockers. I emptied it a week earlier, and the only thing that remained was my overused purse.

“You better keep in touch, ya hear me?” Cal pointed a stiff finger at me as he unbuttoned his chef’s coat. His hat was gone to reveal his bright red bandana.

“I will!” I grumbled and pulled my coat over my shoulders. Folding it, I stuffed it into my purse along with my hat.

With one sad last look around and final goodbyes, I quickly left. I tried to reassure myself by saying I’ll visit, but I knew I probably wouldn't be back for a while.

My small car was one of many in the large parking lot, and I hurried through the crisp air to reach it. Throwing my purse in the backseat, I hurried to turn on the warm air. Course, it just blew cold air for the first few minutes and I sat there motionless, but once it started to heat up I drove off. As I passed the entrance, I saw Cal and a few other people walking out. With a wave and smile, I sped out of the parking lot and to my small flat.

Traffic was on the light side, so I sped home. The upcoming stress of finding a job started to creep up onto me, and it caused my anxiety to climb.

My small flat was one of many, each one looking the same except for color. Mine was periwinkle, which contrasted with the bright yellow Mini Cooper that sat in front of it. Parking beside it, I hop out quickly, grabbing my bag and hurrying inside.

I wasn't surprised when I found everything quiet. My roommate and best friend, Rian, had more than likely fallen asleep.

Light flooded through our small kitchen, and my feet went straight over to the coffee machine. I knew it was going to be a long night, might as well get the caffeine started early. As it brewed, I picked up the remote and turned the T.V. on. Leaving it on the channel it was on, I walk over to the shared Mac desktop.

“I can't believe it! They were my favorite power couple, and it's truly sad that they have decided to split-” The volume of the T.V. was low, but not low enough to where I couldn't hear the shrill voice.

With a roll of my eyes, I mute it, and continue into the kitchen. Fresh steam was coming through the translucent blue mug, and my stress level bumped down a few levels upon seeing it. I heard some movement upstairs and wondered if Rian was asleep, but then I began to feel warm air come from the vent above me. Grabbing my coffee, I ventured back to the computer, where it sat open and waiting.

My tired eyes begged me to just shut the bright computer screen down and go to bed, but my mind was reeling with the thought of not finding a job. Against my eyes wants, I logged in and began searching for a potential job.

Between each job description that I read, I would glance at the moving objects on the screen to give my eyes a break. It seemed to be some type of Celebrity news, and a picture of a guy and a woman and it was split down the middle.

My attention turned back to the list of jobs, most sounded like they weren't for me, and I wanted to scream at my bad luck. That's when I noticed the very last one underneath an advertisement. Due to it being the very last one, I figured it had to be relatively new. My hope began to rise, but I kept myself from celebrating prematurely.

I attached my resumè, and sent it to the only number given. My attention turned back to the bright T.V. where two people stood talking about unnecessary Hollywood drama. I mentally rolled my eyes, and as I tried to read their oversized lips, my eyes began to become heavy. They were like weights, screaming at me to rest. Giving in, I shut the computer down and headed to my bedroom.

The school parking lot was starting to empty out by the time I parked. Teens still sat in front, awaiting their rides home or for buses.

I parked where most of the teacher's park, and there was one familiar Mini Cooper down on the end.

My heels clicked on the shiny marble floors as I strutted my way through the hallway. As I looked around, I noticed all the different things hanging along the walls. It brought back memories of my grade school years, even though most of them were cringe worthy.

Maneuvering my way through the halls, I stop at one classroom and notice all the different shapes of countries on the walls.

“Miss Shields?” I questioned sarcastically and I immediately saw a head of blonde hair turn towards me. Her brow was furrowed and she looked at me with squinted eyes. Rian was an eighth-grade World History teacher. She was the youngest teacher at this school, and I felt bad for her because she always a different story about how some old man tried to flirt with her.

“Oh, bugger off.” She grumbled. She snatched a sticky note from its holder and marked her place in what looked like _The Hobbit_.

“Well, sounds like someone had a _wonderful_ day.” I dumped the dark brown fast food bag onto her desk. She glanced at it through her glasses, and then gave me a wary look.

I normally cook everything, and rarely ever get fast food due to its lack of freshness.

“What? I had an interview today, not enough time to cook.” She was already digging in by the time I finished, and she stuffed her mouth with a handful of fries. I walked over and took a seat at a small desk, and pulled out my phone.

I just came from a job interview for some rich couple needing a personal chef. The wife was bitchy, and I doubt I could work with her for very long. However, beggars can't be choosers and I really need some money, so I hope I get a call.

“So, how'd it go?” Her voice was broken due to her full mouth. I shrugged while looking down at my black screen, waiting hopefully for a good call.

“Eh, okay I guess. The wife I can't handle, but the husband seemed nice. I'd be surprised if I get it.” I just shook my head with small smile, and looked up at her. Her wide eyes were almost entertaining, and she swallows before talking again.

“They'd be stupid not to hire you! You know what? It's probably best if they don't, so you don't have to work with someone like her!” Her British accent was strong as she used her hands to talk, and she just put a wider grin on my face.

“Yeah, I guess. I'd just be glad to get a job.” I hopelessly whispered, and she started to shake her head while getting everything together.

“C’mon, let’s go get some wine and snacks and watch some movies with an attractive actor in it!” She shut down her computer and grabbed her bag and lead the way out.

We both drove home and just as promised, we both sat on the couch all curled up in multiple different blankets. Ryan Reynolds’ face bounced along the T.V. along with Sandra Bullock in The Proposal.

“Betty White is the best I swear.” Rian’s voice broke the silence in the room, and I nodded in approval while taking another sip of my wine.

My ringtone started and my phone lit up out of the corner of my left eye. Shoving my drink into Rian’s hand, I tried my best to get out of the blankets. Completely failing, I landed face first into the floor and taking Rian with me. Luckily, she kept the wine above her head and didn't spill a drop. My short arm reached for my phone and answered it quickly.

“Hello?” I tried to sound as professional as possible, hoping it would help.

“ _Ms. Beckel?_ ” It was the wife's squirrelly voice and I physically deflated. This wasn't a very good sign.

Rian's form joined me by the table, and her big blue eyes were clouded with worry.

“This is she.” I replied and I wanted to throw my phone right then and there.

“ _This is Mrs. Holloway, I’m sorry to inform you, but unfortunately we have another person in mind for the job._ ” A part of me knew this was coming, but I still felt disappointed.

“Okay, thank you for letting me know.” I angrily pulled the phone away and tapped the _end_ button. I threw the phone down, and I turned away from the table. I could still hear her stupid shrill voice, and I wished it would stop.

“Quinn.” Rian's voice quiet, and I acknowledged her with a ‘hm?’.

“Quinn.” I turned around quickly and gave her questioning eyes.

“What Rian?” She pointed to the phone, and chuckled.

“You didn't hang up.”


	2. Chouquettes

Rian’s big, blue eyes stared up at me in confusion as panic flooded through me. It was then that I realized she was still talking, and I hurried to pick the phone up. Course, my phone decides to fly from my hands and onto the floor with a thud.

“Shit!” I squeak and Rian beats me to the phone, picking it up and throwing it at my chest. I juggle it between both hands before getting a good grip on it. My hands are shaking with worry, and I hold the phone up to my ear as quickly as possible.

“ _-and I believe you would have a very good chance! Do you think you would be willing to do it? I just feel so bad about it not working out for you, and when he called asking about a private chef I immediately recommended you!”_ As her squirrelly voice continued, I tried to piece together what she was saying. As I worked the problem in my head, I could feel the swell of hope in my chest. I began to sputter a bunch of pitiful sounds as I realized the silence on the other end.

“Oh, uh. Um, I mean sure! What was his name again?” Deciding she was talking about another interview, I motioned for Rian to get something to write with. However, I'm met with the back of a blonde head because her attention has turned elsewhere, and I'm guessing it's Ryan Reynold’s face. With a harsh sigh, I slap her shoulder and when her annoyed face turns to me, I motion writing something.

“ _Tom Hardy. You may have heard of him_.” Her high-pitched giggle caused me to physically cringe, and all I could picture was her porcelain rack of teeth she displayed to me multiple times during my interview.

“Oh, yeah.” Rian returns with a pen and sticky note, and I quickly scribble the name down. It didn't sound familiar, but that's what Google is for. I wouldn't be surprised if he was some older Upper class aristocrat who was just trying to hire a young chef to gawk at.

 _“If you'd like, I could email you the information_?” I nod quickly, and realizing she couldn't see me, I sputtered a ‘yes please’. Even though she was annoying and bitchy, she seemed to be genuine with helping me. A part of me wanted to thank her a thousand times over, but with a professional ‘thank you’ and ‘goodbye’, I hung up and turned towards Rian.

She had disappeared from the living room, her wine still sitting on the table next to mine. With a shrug, I grab my glass and sit back down in my now cold spot on the couch. She had paused the movie, and it was a perfect frame of Mr. Reynold’s face. My phone vibrated next to me, and as I peered at it, it was an email from Mrs. Holloway. Opening it, I see the guys address and phone number just in case I should need to get in touch. Deciding to search this Hardy guy, I switch tabs to Google where my busy fingers began typing in his name. As I lean over to check if I spelled it right, a sudden outburst caused me to freeze completely.

“Oh, my God! Quinn! Help!” The horrified scream came from the upstairs bathroom, and I immediately jumped up. Throwing my stuff onto the table, I dash upstairs. My mind reels with worry, and when I get upstairs, Rian suddenly grows quiet.

“Rian?!” I barge through the old bathroom door, and see a figure standing on the toilet.

There Rian stands, holding onto the wall for support as she glares at the floor in contempt.

“What?! What's the matter!” My voice is breathy, and my chest constructs with each much-needed breath I take. With a long, skinny finger, she points at the white tile beneath her and starts to growl.

“That stupid fucking thing attacked me while I was trying to take a piss!” I follow her line of sight, to find a small speck of green against the ivory of the floor. Immediately recognizing it, a laugh escapes me. There stood a small lizard, frightened as much as Rian, staring up at her. Half of me is irritated, but a few more laughs come from me and her heated gaze travels over to me.

“The fuck you laughing at? Get it!” Grabbing the cup that our toothbrushes sat in, I dump them on the edge of the sink, then with a quick swoop, he is trapped between the cup and my hand.

I shove the covered lizard at Rian as she began to climb down from the porcelain toilet.

“Uh oh! It's gonna get you!” With a squeak, she shoves me out of the bathroom and into the hallway.

I took the stairs slower this time, examining the frightened lizard as I went. Sometimes I feel the same way. Trapped in this life, terrified most of the time due to stress or other things. Feeling sympathetic for the lizard, I hurried out of the house and to our small garden. I settle by a leaf and I raise my hand to free the poor thing.

“There you go.” It flies out of the cup and onto a similarly colored leaf, running away quickly. I watch as it disturbs each leaf it passes until it is out of sight. Standing up, I start to head back inside when a slurred voice stops me.

“Ay!” Stopping right before my door, I slowly turn to find a young guy slouching by the car next to mine.

“Can I help you?” I question nicely, before turning all the way to see him. His hooded jade eyes are what I notice first, then his short blond hair.

“Erm, yeah.” His sharp jaw flexed as he swallowed, his drunken stupor causing him to fall over slightly onto the car he was leaning on. He was wearing a dark trench coat, and I reconsidered not walking back inside.

I raised my eyebrows at his response, and he chuckled.

“I was wondering… D’you live there?” His slurred words were hard to understand, and I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion at his question.

“Uh, yeah. I think so. Why?” I couldn't help but chuckle, and he nodded and started walking up to the door in front of him.

“Just s’wonderin’” The jingle of keys came from his pocket, and his unsteady hands held them up to the lock. After quite a few minutes of him completely failing to unlock the door, I set the cup down on the hood of my car and walked toward him slightly.

“You need help with that?” I asked, and he nodded weakly, and held his key filled hand out to me. Carefully taking them, I easily open the door, and he looks at me again.

“You American?” I nod as I hand him back the keys, and he smiles.

“That's s’cool. Well, nice to meetcha neighbor. My name’s Ta-” He started to sway slightly and I caught him before he hit the floor.

“Ugh.” His arms were slung over mine, and his head rested on my shoulder. Dragging him further inside, I notice a couch sitting in the middle of a clean-living room.

One of his hands reaches up to my curly hair and pulls on a strand.

“You, has nice hair.” I grin at his fabulous grammar, and carefully set him on the couch. As soon as his head hit the old cushion of the couch, snores were retreating from his mouth, and I chuckled. Letting myself out, I head back to my apartment and see Rian sitting on the couch again with wine in hand.

As I plopped back down, she gave me a questioning look.

“What? Did the lizard take you out on a date?” My deadpan face causes her to grin, and I shake my head.

“No, just talked with the neighbor.” I put it simply, so maybe she would play the movie. I rarely ever have time to watch them nowadays, so when I have the chance, I try to cherish it.

“At twelve o’clock?” I nod while picking up my phone and looking back at the email that Mrs. Holloway sent me.

“Yeah, he was completely drunk off his ass, so it was quite the experience.” She simply sends a grunt my way before returning to the movie.

Not long after, Rian retired to her bed and I sat by myself on the couch. I looked at the phone number that Holloway had given me, and decided I'd call on Monday. I could feel my eyelids begin to droop, and decided to call it a night. Turning the T.V. and lights off, I retire to bed myself.

 

My ponytail swung back and forth as my feet landed on the wet sidewalk. Music was blaring into my ears, causing the outside world to become a blur. Running has always seemed to be a stress reliever for me, and I always think more clearly while doing it.

I could see my street coming up to the left, and started to slow my running. I no longer saw Rian’s car, and guessed she went off to work. I came to stop by my car, and grabbed my key to get inside. Pulling one headphone out, I began fumbling with our old door knob.

“Excuse me?” The slightly familiar voice is quiet and I turn to see the neighbor from last night.

“Hello.” I say with a sly smile. There were dark bruise colored bags hanging from his eyes, and I could practically feel his headache from here.

“Hey, I just wanted to apologize about last night. Or what I remember of it.” His dirty blond eyebrows pulled together in confusion, and I chuckled.

“It's no problem. Really, don't worry about it.” I wave him off with my free hand. I notice he was standing by his car, all dressed up in nicer clothing.

“Thank you. I felt awful about it this morning! However, some of that may have been the headache.” When he smiles, his dimples make a proud appearance and gives him a boyish look. I smile along with him, and he comes forward some with his hand outstretched.

“I'm Taron by the way.” I took his hand in mine and gave it a firm shake.

“Quinn.” I smile as I introduce myself and he nods.

“Well Quinn, it was very nice meeting you, but I'd best be going.” His leg was inside his car already, and gave me another cheeky smile.

“It was a pleasure, Taron.” He slides into his sleek black car, and with a wave, pulls away.

 

The hot water splashed into my screaming muscles, which caused them to calm down. A ball of nervousness began to form in my chest, and thought about not calling about the job. Shaking my head, I knew I must do it.

I was about to climb out of the shower when I heard my phone start ringing.

Hurrying out, I rush downstairs in my towel, and see it's Rian.

“Yo.” I answer and I hear a bunch of kids in the background.

“Hey, wanna meet for lunch?” Her unusually chirpy voice flows through the other end, and I take in my current appearance.

“Uh, yeah sure. Give me twenty minutes. Where you wanna meet?” My towel started to slip from my body, and I move to catch it quickly.

“The Blind Horse is good for me.” She replies and I nod.

“Sure. See you there.” She hung up quickly and I set my phone back on the table and rushed to change.

Giving my hair a quick blow dry, I rush out of the door with my keys.

The Blind Horse was a small restaurant, and quite popular during lunch time. As I walked through the door, I noticed the dark setting and walked up to the hostess.

“How many I help you?” Her accent was smooth and I looked around the busy restaurant.

“I'm meeting someone.” I reply, spotting Rian outside at one of the tables they have set up.

“Ms. Shields?” With a quick nod, I follow her towards where I spotted Rian.

I sat down in front of Rian, and I noticed she already had a drink.

“Hey pretty lady.” I greet and she smiles. She seems oddly happy today, and I plan to find out why.

“Hello.” Her large smile almost caused me to shudder in fear.

“What's up with you?” I question hesitantly and she looks at me with wide eyes.

“Did you get it?” Her smile vanishes and looks at me with wider eyes.

“Get what?” My fingers began fidgeting with my keys, and her brow comes over her eyes.

“The job, you dolt!” I immediately remember that I was supposed to call about the job.

“Oh! No, I haven't called yet.” The waiter walks over and I order a water, sending him away with a smile.

“Ugh, Quinn. You better call before the opening closes!” I slowly nod my head and look up at her.

“I know. I will when I get home okay? Other than that, how's your day been?” I question, trying to change the subject.

“Eh, as good as it gets with having to deal with a bunch of hormonal eighth graders. You?” I shake my head and chuckle.

“I met a slightly less drunk neighbor. He's cute, have you seen him before?” She shakes her head.

“No, he just moved in I think.” She begins typing on her phone while taking sips from her drink.

We had to quickly eat, so she could return to work. I safely returned home, because apparently, people in London don't know how to drive. So now, I'm sitting at the table with the number dialed on my phone. That ball of nervousness began to stop me from calling, and I eventually closed my eyes and hit dial.

With every ring of the phone, I contemplated hanging up.

Eventually, someone picked up and I stopped breathing.

“Hello?” A feminine voice comes from the other end. Composing myself, I reply quickly.

“Hello, this is Quinn Beckel. I'm calling about the Private Chef opening?” Hoping that sounded professional enough, I wait for a reply.

“Oh yes! Ms. Beckel! I've been waiting for your call all weekend. I am Ariana Sanchez, I am Mr. Hardy’s manager. I'm so glad you called, Mr. and Mrs. Holloway highly recommended you.” Her smooth accent caused me to relax a little and I felt relief lift from my chest.

“So, would you like to meet? We are available on Wednesday, if that's okay with you?” A smile slowly made its way across my face.

“Of course, That would be great, thank you.” I reply softly and she laughs.

“We are really glad to hear from you. See you Wednesday.” I hang up quickly and smile wider.

I may or may not have a job

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the wait! I'm quite new to Archive of Our Own, and had to wait until my computer was fixed before updating. Sorry again!  
> ~Ree


	3. Chartreuse

My palms were pouring with sweat, and I could see the marks they were leaving on my leather steering wheel. My Volkswagen sat in front of a higher end restaurant, and I couldn't make myself get out of the car. The valet stood outside glancing at me nervously every now and then.

My nerves were fried, and it took everything in me to get ready and come. Since Ms. Sanchez called me, I have been a nervous wreck thinking about today.

Every few minutes, someone dressed in fancy clothes will either walk in or out of the dark restaurant. I noticed their rigid frames and shoulders pulled back for a perfect posture. I, in no way have the best posture, so I try to straighten my shoulders and hold my chin up. This helped me gather the courage of getting out of the car. The valet crisply walked over and I gently handed him my large bundle of keys. As I walked around the hood of my car, I heard him shut the door and eventually drive away. Too late to run now.

I had my best heels on for today, and my feet quickly started to ache at the pressure I was putting them through. My burgundy colored dress was sexy yet professional, matched with my black pointed stilettos. I was going for a certain classy look, hoping to give off a professional impression.

The amazing smell of Italian food wafted its way to my nose, and my mouth immediately began to water. With the shake of my head, I had to remind myself that I wasn't here to eat or cook for that matter, but there was still apart of my wired brain that was identifying all the ingredients I could smell.

The hostess was gorgeous, and her bright smile was rimmed with bright red lipstick.

"Sanchez?" I question as I approach her. Her black hair falls in front of her face as she glances at the road in front of her with a creased brow.

"There seems to be no reservations for Sanchez." My jumpy mind began to panic, and thoughts of her finding someone better began to cloud my mind. What if she had found someone better suited for the job? Is this all for nothing?

Stopping myself from going any further, I clear my panicked mind and took in a deep breath.

"Oh, maybe try Hardy?" Her dark eyes widened and without looking down, grabbed another menu and nodded. She composed herself as we began to walk, and her perfect posture wanted to make me puke.

We reached a table, where a woman sat with her long legs crossed. Her attention was solely focused in her large phone, and she typed furiously. I wanted to clear my throat, hoping to gain her attention, but decided otherwise.

Her attention immediately diverted to me, and she almost took my breath away. She was ridiculously beautiful, and I wanted to laugh and walk away at this point.

Her large candy green eyes were kind, and they complemented her chestnut brown hair. Her cheekbones were prominent, and caused her to have an almost feline appearance.

"Ms. Beckel?" Her large smile was bright, even in the low restaurant lighting, and I nodded timidly.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Please have a seat." We both took a seat quickly and she typed one last thing on her phone before setting it on her lap.

"That pleasure is mine Ms. Sanchez. I am very grateful that you and Mr. Hardy have given me this opportunity. Thank you." It was then I noticed this guy's absence, and figured he was too good to meet someone who could possibly be cooking his food.

"Trust me, it should be us thanking you. Tom's friends, the Holloway's, recommended you at just the right time. I've ordered for us already, and it should be coming soon enough. If that's okay." My mind immediately became hesitant but curious at what she has ordered.

"Of course, I'm sure anything here is good." At this statement, she gives me a smile and nods.

"Is Mr. Hardy going to be joining us?" I surprise myself with how strong my voice comes, and she rests her face on her long, slim hand.

"Unfortunately, no. Something work related came up last minute, and with his pending divorce, it seems like he never has any time." Her voice sounded almost tired, and she lets out a huff.

We continued to chat back and forth, and finally the food came. I immediately recognized it as Zuppa di Porcini, its dark green color recognizable to any trained chef. It was served in a shiny bowl, and I noticed a few flaws already just by a sniff.

"Zuppa di Porcini? Excellent choice, if cooked right." I commented and she nodded.

"Is it?" Her question caused me to glance up at her with raised eyebrows.

"Is what?" With her spoon, she motioned to our bowls and licked her lips.

"Is it cooked right?" I immediately caught onto what she was doing. She had planned on quizzing me from the start. I should have noticed it sooner, when she had informed me that she had ordered for me.

"No." Her eyebrows immediately shot up and smirked.

"How so?" She took her first mouthful of the food, and nodded her head.

"I believe it tastes just fine." With one more spoonful, I shook my head and laid the spoon back onto the table.

"Do you taste that hint of oregano? Or mint?" Closing her eyes she nods.

"Any chef knows that oregano or mint is the perfect substitute for the actual secret ingredient in any good Zuppa di Porcini. That ingredient is nepitella. It has the peppery taste of the oregano and coolness of the mint all in one. So, instead of threatening the whole dish with too much nepitella, the take the easy route and use ingredients that they are comfortable with, such as mint and oregano." Once I finish my rant, I lookup to see her eyes wide. I simply take another sip of the water in front of me, and smile.

"Well, Ms. Beckel, I believe we will get along just fine. We will be glad to have you?" Her long arm outstretched a hand, and I took it quickly.

"That sounds fantastic." I reply with a small smirk, but in my head, I'm jumping with joy.

___________________

Protests come from the front office of the school as I run by. Normally, I would sign in to visit Rian, but not today. I run the best I can in my heels, the hard floors proving to be quite hard to gain traction. Of course, her classroom would have to be in the deepest part of the school. Confused looking we're being shot my way as I ran past each classroom.

Finally, I was coming up on it, so I slow down and try to catch my breath. Standing outside of her classroom, I stand up and breathe through my nose. I finally gain enough strength to knock on her door, and I could hear kids voices coming from inside.

The door opens, and I'm met with a tall kid with his pants hanging off. His eyes widen when he sees me and opens the door wider.

"Ms. S! I thought you were the only hot teacher here!" As I walk in, I see Rian standing up by the board with a dry erase marker in her hand.

"Josh! Sit down before I drown you in a mop bucket." Her glasses were hanging off of her nose and she teasingly pointed the marker at the boy.

"Yes ma'am!" He slumped back down in the small desk to laugh with his buddies.

"Okay, everyone just work on what I just handed you." She walked down the main aisle, and I could hear her heels clicking on the shiny white floor.

"What's that matter?" Her blue eyes were wide behind her glasses, and her mouth was in a grim line.

"I got it!" My cheeks were burning due to how hard I was smiling, and she gasped.

"Really?! Yay!" She flung herself on me, and I started laughing.

"She got a job!" She turned towards her students and they all started laughing. She pulled me outside and took her glasses off to clean them.

"When do you start?" Her question was quieter this time.

"Monday. She decided to give me the next few days to relax, I tried to tell her I can start Friday, but she told me Monday." She hugged me again, and held me at arm's length.

"I'm so happy for you! We'll have to celebrate! For now, I have to go back in and babysit those heathens. I'll see you when I get home!" She ran back into the loud classroom and I sighed looking at the wall in front of me.

I made my way down the halls, this time a lot slower. As I apologized to the lady at the front desk, I decided to go home and relax.

I blasted my music through the radio, and sing along with it, not caring about the crazy looks I kept receiving from the passengers in the cars beside me.

Through the loud music, I felt my phone vibrate on my lap. I was almost home, so I left it alone. I pulled into my parking spot, and saw that Taron's car was in its spot as well. Putting it in park, I reached over and picked my phone up. Realizing it was I text, I quickly open my phone and read it.

'I'm in town! Wanna meet up?'

I realized it was a close friend of mine, Brendan, who was visiting his family in Australia. He was a pretty well known Pediatric surgeon in the London area. We met through a mutual friend that I went through Culinary school with.

'Sure, love to.'

With that, I head inside and make me a cup of coffee. Because a cup is appropriate any time of the day. As it brews, I mentally pat myself on the back for my new job, and I can't help the smile that spreads across my face.

I walk into the living room and lay on the couch, feeling my mind slowly starting to slow.

My eyes scream for me to close them, and I rush the coffee pot as it sputters out a small stream of the amazing brown liquid.

However, the ancient coffee pot was too slow for my heavy eyelids, and they close drifting off to sleep.

The worst feeling is trying to take a small cat nap, and eventually waking up like it is one hundred years later. My bleary eyes slowly open to see the glow of the T.V. lighting every surface it touches. The sun has clearly retired for the day, and the moon has taken it place.

My eyes scan the room for any sign of life, and I notice Rian's purse on the table in all of its huge glory. I spot my phone next to it, and I slowly get up in the darkness of the room.

My eyes burn when my bright screen meets them, and I struggle to turn down the brightness. When I can see again, it check the time.

2:45.

Ugh, figures. How did I sleep that long?

Swiftly running up the steps, I see that Rian's door is slightly open. I peek in, and see a lump underneath her blue comforter. Why didn't she wake me up?

Making my way back downstairs, I see the coffee pot is full, but as I get closer, the smell and heat radiating off of it have both disappeared. Shrugging, I pull a mug from the cabinet and almost fill it to the brim.

The beep from the microwave sounds like it could wake the dead, and I make sure to stop it before it alerts me it's done.

I keep it black, and make my way back to the couch with my phone in hand. I notice I have a message and open it once I sit down.

'Well, they already have me back at work. On nights as usual. Feel free to call, and we can set a day.'

Realizing that this is the best time to call, I quickly dial his number and wait as it rings.

"Quinn!" His Australian accent is chirpy and makes me chuckle.

"Hey Brendan. How's the family?" I try to keep my voice down, seeing as it was almost three in the morning.

"They're great! I'm so glad to be back though. Socializing can be tough sometimes." Realizing how true the statement actually was, I nodded along as I heard him talk about things that happened while he was in the Down Under.

"Hey, so wanna hang out? Saturday maybe? Football season started!" He wasn't really into American College Football, seeing as he was a Hockey person. That is, until he met me. After realizing how roughly similar the sport was to Rugby, he slowly became as big a fan as I.

"You know that's an offer I could never refuse, however, I may have to work." Smiling as I said the last part, he was quiet for a few seconds before replying.

"Work? As in like a job? I thought you were going to be a jobless loser that I would have to support for the rest of your life. At least you can make up for it with your cooking." He was full on laughing by the time he finished, and I rolled my eyes with a smirk.

"That's what I thought too. Yes, I actually got a job, you jerk! The right reply would be along the lines of 'Congrats Quinn!'." His laughing died to a low chuckle, and I could practically see his bright blue eyes and shiny pearly whites making an appearance.

"Yeah, seriously that's amazing Quinn. I'm proud of you. Hey, I'm being paged, so I'll have to talk to you later. You better believe I'm going to be over there bright and early on Saturday, whether you want me to or not." A large smile creeped onto my face and I nodded. Sounds like Brendan.

"'Kay Boomerang, see you later."

"Bye Gordon Ramsay." The line ended with me laughing as I thought back to when he gave me the nickname. It was a football Saturday when I was cooking something, and ended up completely failing and catching it on fire. All he heard was a stream of curses as I tried my best to put the fire out. Course, I couldn't come up with anything better than Boomerang, but it eventually stuck.

Realizing the coffee wasn't doing anything for me, I turn everything off and head upstairs to my empty and awaiting bed.

__________________________________________________

Loud cheers sporadically came from the farthest corner of the small pub, and of course, that was the table I had to be at. I had just crossed the threshold of the pub, and had already been able to spot my small group of friends. Even though they are smaller, they are the loudest in the entire room. I could see they already had a round of drinks, but there didn't need to be glasses on the table for me to see that. My heels made pound clicks as I traveled towards them, and when Rian caught my eye, she jumped up and screamed.

"She's here! Ms. Chef is here!" Her bright smile was contagious and her blonde messy waves flung around as she jumped. That caused my other friends, Amanda and Sara, to twist around quickly and jump up as well.

"Holy shit! Look, it's the stranger!" Amanda's one tattooed arm flew towards me, and as I approached the table she flung it around me.

"Hey doll, how you been?" The question came as I stepped back and she motioned 'so-so' with a flat palm. I made my way over to Sara who's bright green eyes were wide along with her smile.

"Hey there Councelor." I take a seat between Rian and Sara, and Amanda flies off to get me a drink. I almost cringed when she stated that, mostly because I know she'll come back with the strongest drink possible.

"So, how's court been? Stressful as usual?" My attention turns to Sara after I shed my brown jacket. Her drink was being spun around with her fingers, and her mouth was tilted to one side. Amanda fell into the seat across from me and slid a whiskey neat my way.

"Thanks. Anyway, court?" My eyes made themselves back towards Sara and she nodded.

"Yeah, it's pretty stressful. However, engaged life helps." Her left hand raises to rest on the table, and something catches my eye. A large sparkly diamond sat on her ring finger, and the diamond in the center was as big as my eye.

"What the fuck?! When the hell did this happen?!" Amanda's obnoxious response came first, due to my mouth hanging to the ground.

"Last night. He took me sailing all day yesterday and then asked me after dinner." Her smile was bright and her green eyes were filled with happiness. I couldn't contain myself any longer, and my arms wrapped themselves around her.

"Congrats!" I pulled back and Amanda and Rian both had their turn. Downing my whiskey, I raise my glass and turn to them.

"Another round, then we toast!" I hop off from my seat, and head straight to the bar. I stood on the end and waited for the bartender to notice me. I turned so my back was against the bar, and scanned the large room. It was packed, typical for a Saturday night.

"What can I help you with, love?" My brown eyes flitted back behind the bar, my body turning along with them.

"Two whiskey neat's and a Sauvignon Blanc. Oh, and an Amaretto Sour." I smile at the end and his cat like smirk rises up his cheek.

"Nice choices. Which one is for you? Unless all of them are, then I have to give you some props." He definitely wasn't from around here, his voice had a slight accent to it, but mostly American.

"The whiskey. The others are for the beautiful ladies at the back table." His cerulean eyes crossed the large room as he grabbed the wine bottle and began pouring the white wine into the large glass.

"Ahh, I see. What part of America are you from?" He slides the glass to me and starts on the Sour. 

"Michigan. You?" He nods with a smile as he moves the shaker back and forth above his right shoulder.

"Romania originally, moved to New York when I was twelve." Grabbing a glass from behind the bar, he pours the dark liquid into the crystal clear glass.

"Never been. Came straight here after high school for college." His eyebrows went up as he grabbed the two rocks glasses.

"Hmm, lemme guess. Law?" His brow was knotted together and I motioned with my thumb and index finger, saying he was close.

"Culinary." The bottle he grabbed looked very expensive, and as he began to pour the amber liquid into the glass, I looked up at him with questioning eyes. He winked and then slid both glasses over.

"On the house." I gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Thank you..." He smiled and the held out his hand.

"Cristian." The name sounded foreign, but I nodded.

"Quinn."

"It's a pleasure meeting you Quinn. Would you like some help over to the table?" I looked down at all of the glasses, then down the busy bar.

"You sure?" I nodded towards the waiting people that were leaning against the bar such as I had done.

"Course."

"Then I think the girls would like that." He quickly grabbed the wine and Sour and I grabbed both whiskey's. As we made our way to the table, his elbow brushed against mine. I simply smiled and sat on my chair.

"The wine goes to her and she gets the sour. Girls this is Cristian. Rian, Amanda, and Sara." I motioned to each one, and they all nodded.

"Hello." I eyed him as I looked over the rim of my glass, and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, I'd best get back to the bar. It was nice meeting you ladies. Quinn, pleasure." My head nodded his way, and he walked away with a wink. Amanda's big eyes made their way from the retreating figure to me and she smiled.

"Get that ass, Quinn." With a smirk, I nod my head while taking another sip.

"Eh, gotta focus on getting this job first. Then after that, maybe." I said though a smirk, looking to see Cristian's retreating figure. His loose combat boots fit with his bartender, bad boy demeanor.

"Speaking of! The loser finally gets a job? Damn, the world MUST be ending." Kicking Amanda under the table, she curses and rubs her now sore knee.

"Yes I did. Thank you very much! So you, my dear madame, can screw yourself. Not everyone inherits their Daddy's tattoo shop." I pointed a finger in Amanda's direction. Her cropped hair hung in front of her glaring eyes, and her mouth was curved in a cat like smirk.

"Well, it's a good thing you didn't. Cause you can't draw for shit." Rian and Sara both spat in their drinks and I slowly felt a scowl wash over my face.

"I happen to draw quite well!" My mouth was spread in a wide smile and I downed my drink. "Now, I'm heading back to the bar to see the hot bartender!" Amanda held up her glass, signaling for another, and Sara simply sipped elegantly from her large glass. Rian was still working on her second Sour. It's a good thing Amanda and I can hold liquor better.


	4. Le Barman

My eyes were clearly messing with me. They quickly glanced down at my navigating phone, then back up to where it had taken me. I checked the address multiple times, and it was clearly the one Ms. Sanchez gave me.

The house that my small bug now sat in front of was, for lack of better terms, fucking huge. I glanced around the small shrubs and trees nervously, checking the address again. My phone then vibrated in my hand, and I noticed it was Ms. Sanchez texting me.

‘Sorry I can't be there today. Had other business with another client. Tom should be home, so he’ll let you in! The code is 0405 just in case he’s busy.’ The thought of him being here only made my anxiety climb, but I seemed to muster up enough courage to climb out of my tiny car. I grabbed my small backpack from the passenger seat, and locked my car. I strolled up to the large gate, and noticed the small keypad on the side. My finger touched the small red button, which made an obnoxious buzzing sound. Letting my hand drop, I began to wonder if he's changed his mind about hiring me. Well, it would be a little late to decide that.

After a few moments, I pressed it again, but still no answer. I unwillingly punched in the code and walked through the brass gate. Hating that I let myself in, I rang the doorbell once I reached the mansion.

After two more attempts, I knocked with the back of my knuckles. Nothing. Silence.

I pulled my phone out, contemplating calling her, but I didn't want to bother her.

After some researching, I realized that Tom Hardy was some huge actor. I’d even recognized him from some movies I've watched. Ms. Sanchez also worked with other big actors such as Ewan McGregor, which baffled me.

Doing the stupid movie move, I tried the handle. It didn't budge, so I let out a huff and paced back some. I glanced up at the windows for any sign of life, but I was left with nothing. Deciding to round the large house, I noticed the pool in the back, and the large patio.

The sun was surprisingly bright today, which didn't help with my search. I began to feel sweat begin to form on my upper lip, and I searched for my phone.

Quickly making my way to Ms. Sanchez’s phone number, I held the phone up to my ear. It rang once before heading straight to voicemail. I waited for the beep, before starting to explain.

“Sorry to bother you, but there's no one here. I guess I can wait. Sorry again.” I hung up and gripped my phone harder in my fist. Glancing out at the crystal-clear pool, it rippled as leaves began to fall onto its surface. The wind began to pick up, which was a relief. Stepping closer, the tip of my boot hung off the edge of the pool. I could see some leaves that sunk to the bottom, which caused me to wonder when the last time it was cleaned.

“Can I help you?” The voice caused my heart to jump, and I turned quickly. My foot slipped off the side, and I could feel my arms shoot out to balance on anything. I could feel my balance slipping and I was tumbling towards the pool.

Large hands gripped my arm and my body was suddenly lurched forward into something hard. During the fall, I must've closed my eyes, and so I opened them. They were met with a navy-blue shirt, then with even bluer eyes. I could see the pool’s reflection in them, which caused them to almost glow. I took in the rest of his facial features, and I noticed his full lips were slightly parted.

With a shake of my head, I stepped back. It was then that I realized how broad his shoulders were. He had a looming appearance, which caused me to shrink down.

“Oh shit. Um, I’m so sorry. I really didn't want that to happen.” My mouth cut itself off, and I avoided looking him in the eye.

“Who are you?” His eyes narrowed and his lips turned into a slight pout. This time my mouth decided to cooperate with my mind.

“I’m the new chef?” It came out more like a question, and I mentally facepalmed. I watched as he rolled his eyes and turned around.

“I already told her I didn't need a fuckin’ chef! And what does she do? Go and hire a goddamn chef! Then you come in all on your own? Typical American.” His words were sharp, and caused me to wince. He turned towards me, and motioned towards the front of the house with his thumb.

“You can leave, I don't need you.” He turned away, dismissing me with a simple motion. I let out a scoff and turned away from him as well. Tension blanketed over the situation thickly, and I reached for my phone to call Ms. Sanchez. Panic flooded through me as I felt an empty pocket. It wasn't in either hand, so I began to search the ground. That's when I noticed something shiny catch the sun from the bottom of the pool.

“Oh fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I rounded the pool, and my fingers threaded through my hair. Tears began to sting at my eyes, but I quickly willed them away. This caused him to turn around and look in my direction. He must've noticed the phone, because he calmly walked over and grabbed the net sitting on the small black fence. I watched as he fished the device out and handed it to me.

He walked away with a huff and immediately began talking on the phone in a hushed voice. Knowing my phone was already completely fried, I tossed it in my bag and began to walk out. My feet crossed the green lawn, and down the long driveway. I could hear the crunch of leaves and gravel beneath me, when I heard a shout come from behind me.

“Wait!” Dread flooded through me, and I turned slowly. The guy was jogging up to me, with the phone outstretched in my direction. My brows squeezed together in confusion, and I carefully grabbed the phone.

“Hello?” All I heard was an exasperated sigh.

“Ms. Beckel, I am so sorry. Ignore whatever he said. He doesn't normally act like this. Please don't leave, you are literally my last chance. I will buy you a new phone, I promise. Just, please stay.” Her voice had gone up a few octaves, and I turned away from the man.

“Look, I didn't sign up to be verbally abused. If he doesn't want me here, then I might as well leave.” I heard her suck in air, and I shrugged.

“Please don't! I need you to stay! Quinn, please.” I could practically see her apple green eyes pleading with me. I turned back to the angry man, seeing him glaring at me. If looks could kill, I'd be dead ten times over. I needed the money. Rian couldn't pay my half of rent any longer.

“Okay. Sure.” I listened as she released a breath and chuckled.

“Thank you! Thank you so much. I will have your phone to you by tomorrow.” I shook my head while smiling.

“Don't worry about the phone, it was my fault anyway. Have a good day.” I handed the phone back to him, who snatched it from my grasp and began to angrily whisper into it.

After a few minutes, he simply walked off in the direction of the house. I picked up my bag, and slowly followed after him. He punched in the code and walked through the front door, leaving it wide open. My jaw dropped at the view, seeing how big the house looked from inside.

He hurried down the hall, leaving me on my own. I closed the large door and silently made my way around the house. It definitely had a woman's touch at some point, but not in a while according to the trash starting to accumulate. Glasses littered the tables that sat about, and I quickly began to search for the kitchen.

After a few minutes, I came across the large kitchen. An island sat in the middle, facing the gas stove and two ovens. Excitement flooded my chest, and I laid my bag on the cluttered island. My feet carried me over to the stainless-steel fridge, where I found little food.

Course…

Seeing the glasses everywhere, I padded over to my bag. Pulling my headphones, and thankfully my IPod. Music flooded through the small buds, and into my ears.

After collecting many the glasses, I threw them into the dishwasher, starting it up and heading out to the store.

\---

“What a bloody asswipe! You don't deserve to be treated that way! Not to mention, you don't have a phone cause of him.” Rian was holding a goblet of red wine, and was carefully sipping it. I was totally exhausted, lying back on the couch and keeping my heavy eyelids closed.

She was busy grading papers once I arrived home, and demanded why I hadn't answered her all day. Once I told her what happened, her eyes started to glow with fire.

“I know.” It was barely audible, being too much work for my tired lips.

“Seriously Quinn, don't put up with that for long. You are a good person and you cook…” Her voice carried off as sleep started to consume me.

“C’mon, let's get you to bed.” Rian rubbed my shoulder, as she pulled me up and guided me up the stairs.

She helped me into bed, but my mind lulled off, not remembering much.

I woke up to the sound of my alarm next to my face. I remember waking up sometime last night and setting my old-fashioned alarm clock. I have to get up every day at seven o’clock, so I can be at the Hardy residence to cook breakfast.

I fell out of bed, and took a glance in the mirror. God only knows what happened to the rat’s nest that sat upon my head, and my makeup from yesterday was smeared down my face. Hurrying to the shower, I got in and out quickly, still having forty-five minutes to go. After blow drying my hair, I applied some eyeliner and red lipstick.

I decided to leave my hair naturally curly, and go ahead and head out. As I made my way downstairs, I could hear the rain pelting against the rooftop. Snatching an apple and my umbrella, I made my way out.

Second to forgo the niceties, I simply let myself in and got to work. I wondered if he was up yet or not, due to the silence that I was met with once I entered the house. Shrugging it off, I went ahead and got to work. I threw my curls up into a mop on my head. I stuffed my headphones in and let my hands do the magic.

As I was beating the eggs for the omelette I was making, I felt a tap on my shoulder. My mind reeled as I almost dropped the glass bowl, but I noticed it was Tom as I pulled my headphones out. He held an annoyed face, and I wanted to scoff. He shoved something hard into my chest, and I recognized it as a phone box. My breath was knocked from me, and I had to catch it before it landed in the eggs.

He strutted away without another word, and slammed a door.

Fucking douchebag. So, this is how they must all act. Like spoiled brats. They get whatever they could ever possibly need, and treat anyone they think is under them like shit.

Not to mention, why would you treat someone cooking your food like that. Hasn't he ever heard of poison?

Chuckling at my inner rant, I put the phone on the island and got back to work.

The omelettes were easy enough, and per request of Ms. Sanchez, I made a protein drink. She informed me that he had to gain some weight for his upcoming role, so she left me a recipe.

Setting it all on a platter, I let my hair fall back down. My unruly curls framed my face, and I went in search for him.

As I made my way down the hall, I could hear his voice talking roughly. Seeing as he was on the phone, I planned to walk in and out without him noticing. The door was slightly cracked, and I walked up to it silently.

However, I was met with something totally different. He was pacing back and forth with a thick pile of papers in his large hand. His face was scrunched as he read, and quickly took another hand to highlight something. He started to talk again, except he didn't seem like the guy I've had to deal with recently. He was a total different person.

My arms began to shake with the weight of the platter resting on them, and I brought my other hand up to rap on the door. His eyes shot to me, and they changed back to the dull blue. He threw the papers down, and marched over to me with that looming walk.

He doesn’t need to gain any more muscle.

He looked down at the food and with a grunt, ripped it away, and slammed the door.

What the fuck?!

With an angry breath, I made my way back to the kitchen. I quickly cleaned up and started to play with my new phone. I sent a text to Rian to tell her that I got a new one. It took my mind off him, and the anger that his face brought.

Seeing as I didn't need to stay all day, I decided to leave to get some fresh air. I left my car there, and just decided to walk. The rain had let up some, and a light drizzle was left. It was soothing. He didn't live far from a little shopping center. So, I took to shopping through each little shop, and through the fresh produce market they had.

My phone began to ring in my pocket, and I saw that it was Rian. My hands were full, and I had to set a few bags down to answer it.

“Yo?” I kept a tight grip on my umbrella, and my eyes darted back and forth between the variety of fruits and vegetables in front of me.

“Hey! How's it going?” My groan was answer enough, so she continued angrily.

“Quinn, don't put up with this. You are awesome at what you do, and anyone would hire you.” Pinning my phone between my head and shoulder, I grabbed all my bags and started walking.

“I know, but I want to provide for myself. I don't want you to pay the entire rent anymore. Plus, this isn't the first time I've had to deal with a douchebag for a boss. Remember Dylan? Yeah, Tom is sunshine and rainbows compared to some of the episodes he used to have.” My eyes caught familiar blue orbs, except these were kind. Not harsh like Tom’s.

“Hey Rian? Let me call you back.” Letting the phone drop into my used hand, I glanced back to find him closer than before.

“Cristian, what a surprise.” I smiled and he nodded.

“That it is Quinn. So, tell me, what brings you this way?” His black umbrella rubbed against mine, and I motioned back towards Tom’s house.

“Work. You?” He nodded with a bright smile and motioned in the same way.

“Eh, just making my way around London. Seeing as the weather is perfect for a walk.” He motioned to the ever-growing rain, and I nodded.

“Oh yeah, sure. This is great weather.” At the moment, the heavens parted and the rain began to fall with force.

We both took off and found refuge under a tent, and we watched as other people did the same. I checked the time, realizing I had to get back to cook lunch in less than twenty minutes. I turned towards him and smiled.

“I must be going! I should get back to work, but it was nice to see you. Do you think-” Suddenly, my phone was plucked from my grasp, and I met Cristian’s mischievous smile. He tapped away, and then I saw his phone light up.

“You read my mind.” With a wink, I took off, and jogged back to Tom’s. I left my soaking umbrella on the front steps, and walked into the kitchen.

I tied my now damp hair up, and searched through the fridge to find something to cook. Since Tom is on a strict diet, I wasn't allowed to get creative while cooking anything.

I simply make him a grilled chicken sandwich, and strutted down the hall again.

“I don't care Charlotte! Don't do this, let me see him soon.” Pause. “I don't think you want to go there.” My conscious started to eat away at me for listening to his conversation. It had to have been his wife.

I decided to wait until he was finished to knock, so I stood outside trying to ignore him talking.

“Whatever Charlotte, be fuckin’ difficult about it.” The phone slammed onto the desk, and I waited a few seconds to knock. My fingers tapped on the heavy wooden door, and I heard him huff.

“What?!” He wrenched the door open and stared at me with annoyance. I simply stared at him and held the food out to him. As his eyes traveled down to the food, it looked as if they softened. Then they clouded over again, and ripped it away once again. Before he could slam the door in my face again, I walked away.

\---

It was almost completely dark by the time I got home, and I saw Rian’s car out front. Along with another nice SUV that sat in my parking space. Groaning with annoyance, I realized someone couldn't find a parking spot, so took mine. Parking my car on the curb, I slammed my car door and made my way inside.

“Rian? Do you know which prick parked in my spot? -” As I rounded the corner, I saw two figures on the couch. Once they spotted me, Rian flew from the couch and off his lap.

“Oh, my god! Quinn, don't scare me like that!” Rian's voice was high pitched, but I kept my eyes on the man. He slyly pulled a throw pillow from the end of the couch, and rested it on his lap.

“Well, don't make out on the couch, in the living room! Sorry! Get back to business!” I laughed as I said it, and walked back out the front door. My phone dinged from my pocket, and I saw the precut opportunity.

‘Wanna get a drink?’ I looked at the contact name, and chuckled.

The Bartender.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Not make excuses, but I was hit with the old enemy we call writers block. So here you go, if you've been following.


	5. Révélateur

I heard my phone ringing somewhere around me, but I couldn't make out where it was coming from. The sound resounded through my ears, causing my pounding head to wince. My arms felt as if they were made of lead, and when I tried to feel around for the vibrating phone, I simply moaned in pain and rolled over. The cool sheets felt amazing against my flushed skin. My fingers danced along my silky sheets to find my vibrating phone. Finally, I was able to feel it and pick it up. By the time my wearing eyes were able to open, it stopped and I grabbed. 

Course…

I threw it back onto the empty space on my bed, and threw back my sheets. My alarm clock said it was seven thirty, which means I'm a little off schedule. Glancing down for something to put on, I didn't see anything but a large t-shirt on my wooden floor. Shrugging, I simply put the t-shirt over my naked body. Once I was able to roll out of bed, I hurried downstairs and into the kitchen. Our Keurig was sitting happily on the counter, where I heard it warm up. 

I reached up to grab my favorite to-go cup and shoved it into the spot to pour coffee. 

“Excuse me?” The voice came from nowhere, and my heart began to pump furiously. My stomach leaped into my throat, and I turned quickly to find a man standing in the doorway, standing completely nude except the one hand that covered his crotch. My eyes traveled back up to his face, where I was met with blue eyes and short black hair that was dripping water onto his chest. 

“I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you! I just-uh… shit. Rian said it'd be okay for me to take a shower before I left, but I can't find any towels.” His familiar face finally set in and I remember where he was from. He was the guy that Rian was sitting on when I got home the other day. With my hand still holding my frantic heart, I chuckled and nodded. 

“Yeah… uh they should be in the third cabinet to the right of the sink.” With a quick nod, he shot back upstairs and I simply laughed while staring out of the window. My yellow bug reflected the unusual sunlight, and it caused my mood to lift. 

After getting ready, I eventually found out that ‘towel’ guy’s name was James. He apologized once again and left as I was walking out of the door. He hopped in the expensive looking SUV and sped off like a bat out of hell. While balancing my coffee and huge purse, I managed to climb in my car and make my way towards the house. 

It had been about a week and a half since I started working for him. Everyday, he managed to give me attitude. Even though it's only been about two weeks working, I already started dreaded working for him. Or even going to work itself. The only good thing coming out of it was his great looks, but his awful personality completely concealed that. 

It was quiet as usual, but when I glanced down the hallway, I noticed a half eaten bone on the floor. 

What the hell? I noticed a few other toys, when I was violently pushed to the ground. Turning quickly to fend off my attacker, I felt fur underneath my fingers. I saw that it was golden, and that's when I was licked on the face by the beast that knocked me down. The dog was big, but not so big to be considered a threat. 

I laughed as he continued to lick my face and try to push him off. 

“Woody! Get off of ‘er!” The dog was pulled from on top of me, and I opened my eyes to find Tom looking down at me. My lips were curved up into a smile, but slowly deflated when I met his eyes. 

“You have a dog?” I'm not sure where the question came from, but it came tumbling from my mouth as I struggled to get up. The puppy simply sat down next to Tom, but it's tail still swung back and forth excitedly. 

“Yeah.” He chuckled as his hand reached down to pet one of the dog’s ears. I could feel the awkwardness cloud around us, so I stood up and straightened my shirt. 

“Breakfast should be ready in about twenty minutes.” With that I walked around him and to the kitchen. I heard him mumble something to Woody, and his loud footsteps make their way down the long hallway leading to his office. After stuffing my headphones in, I began to get to work on making breakfast. I swung open the fridge, my eyes darting back and forth between the ingredients. My hands immediately went for the eggs, and I noticed some ham in the door of the fridge. After remembering that I got croissants, I quickly got to work. 

About halfway through cooking the ham, I realized I had been joined in the large kitchen. Woody sat next to me, staring up with big brown eyes. I simply smiled, and set a small piece off to the side to cool. 

After getting everything finished, I walked down the hall to his office. When I knocked, there was no answer. So I opened the door, only to find it empty. 

My mind began to wonder where he was, and think about how I'd get lost in this house if I tried to find him. 

That's when I started to hear loud rap music blare from one of the rooms on the other side of the house. Guessing that's where he was, I padded down and opened the door, knowing he wouldn't hear my knock. I was met with even louder music and the sound of a weight machine. I watched as the weights moved up and down furiously, which made a loud sound every time they collided.

Tom lied flat on his back, only wearing long black sweatpants. I watched his face tighten with every pull. My eyes were stuck on his muscled arms, when I realized I was staring creepily from the doorway. 

I looked for the light switch, and flicked it back and forth a few times. His eyes opened, and looked over at me. He carefully set the weights down and turned the loud music off. He strutted over and began to take the platter from me, when I was tripped from behind. I watched as Woody ran into the room and began to sniff the ground. I fell forward, and into his sweaty form. 

After quickly composing myself, I stepped back, and braced myself against the door frame. 

“Is this going to become a regular thing with you?” His deep voice caught me off guard, and when I glanced up at him, I noticed one of his eyebrows was cocked up. I saw Woody’s tail stop wagging from my peripheral, and I wiped my hands on my jeans. 

“God, I hope not.” I tucked my unruly hair behind my ear, and met his eye with attitude. With a scoff, he turned and walked back over to the stereo. 

“Whatever.” With that he turned the rap music back on, and kept his back to me. 

“Okay seriously, what the hell is your problem with me?” He seemed to have heard me and turned eyes wide. His thumb roughly pushed the off button, and there was silence throughout the room.

“Excuse me?” His voice was dangerously low, but it didn't effect my in the slightest. 

“I’m not sure what I did for you to treat me like shit, but I'd really like to know.” My hands landed on my hips and I stared up bravely into his eyes. I watched as he slowly walked up to me and stared directly into my eyes. 

“You don't need to know anything. I'm your boss, and if you want to keep this job, you'll do whatever you're supposed to without question.” His eyes were wild looking, but suddenly flickers back. 

“If you have a problem with that, then you can leave.” Turning away from me, he threw a towel over his shoulder. It took everything in me not open my mouth, instead I nodded.

“Fine. Have a nice life.” Anger flared through me, and with a turn, I stomped out of the door. 

Running to the kitchen, I ripped my purse from one of the bar stools and turned to leave. I stopped in my tracks when I spotted Woody sitting in front of me with questioning eyes. With a smile, I grabbed the small piece of ham and gave it to him softly. I ruffled his head once, then made my way out. It seemed like the nice weather disappeared and pouring rain took its place. Within seconds my hair was soaked, and by the time I reached my car, I was dripping from head to toe. 

Before I started it up, I called Ms. Sanchez and waited for her to answer.

“Quinn! What a surprise!” Her perky voice angered me more, and I simply huffed.

“Is it too early to turn in a resignation?” I could hear my angry voice and I heard her groan from the other side. 

“Quinn, please don't leave. I know he can be harsh from time to time-” With a laugh, I interrupted her.

“From time to time? He treats me like shit on a constant basis! I’m sorry, but everyday out of the small two weeks I've worked for him, he's treated me really bad. I've tried to put up with it, but I don't think this job is for me.” As I finished, I cranked the ignition and drove off. All I could hear was silence and then a sigh. 

“Okay Quinn, take the day off. Can we talk tomorrow? After everything cools down?” I contemplated her offer, and eventually agreed. We hung up and I drove home quickly. 

I waited patiently for Rian to come home. I stood by the kitchen window, waiting for her red Cooper to pull up. 

Happiness flooded through me when she finally arrived and I met her outside. 

“Quinn! You're home!” I ushered her inside and hopped up on the counter.

“Yeah. I quit.” Her wide blue eyes turned my way and chuckled.

“Damn, that didn't take long. What happened?” She grabbed a cold water bottle from the fridge and leaned against the counter. 

“I got tired of him treating me horribly. So we got in a small fight and he told me if I didn't like it that I could leave. So I did.” With a shrug, I smiled at her. She started to clap slowly and let out a loud laugh.

“Yeah, that's right!” 

Sooner or later we ended up on the couch with loads of food that littered our laps.

“So I met your guy this morning. You forgot to give the guy a towel.” I looked over at her form and watched as her shoulders bounced. 

“Oh god..-”

“Yep! Came down as nude as your lipstick.” Her laugh rang out throughout the room and I chuckled along with her. 

“Cute guy. When’d you meet him?” She got up and smiled.

“New teacher at school. Finally a hot one.” She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a stack of papers. She held the two stacks up and smirked.

“Wanna help grade?” 

We sat for the remainder of the night grading papers and drinking wine. She would sporadically text on her phone, only guessing it was James. 

She retired around ten thirty, and I followed not far behind. 

\---

Waking up this morning, I felt extremely productive. I rolled out of bed and took a shower, then after getting dressed, began cleaning. 

I flitted about cleaning any dirty surface I spotted. I had one headphone jammed in my ear, and I could hear a mixture of sound coming from the dishwasher, washer, and dryer.

I was carefully carrying a basket full of laundry to the couch to fold, when I heard three loud knocks on my door. Pausing my music, I threw my phone onto the couch next to the basket. With a glance out of the kitchen window, I noticed a large figure standing close to my doorway. My eyes couldn't tell who it was, so I padded over to the door and looked out of the peephole. All I was able to see was the top of a head. 

“Can I help you?” Hopefully my voice could be heard from outside of the door. I planted my ear on the cold door, and waited for a reply.

“Uh, it's me, Tom. Can I talk to you?” Anger flooded through me and I flung the door open to find Tom standing there with his hands in his jeans pockets.

I motioned for him to come in and he slowly walked through. 

“So, what?” I walked towards the living room and started folding the clothes. My eyes stayed on my task at hand.

“I have realized that I haven't treated you the best-” 

“You or Ariana pointed it out? Cause you’ve been treating me like this for weeks. Not once did it seem to bother you.” He nodded while looking to the side. His full lips poured out and he looked back at me with eyebrows raised. I watched as his douchebag expression made an appearance.

“No it didn't bother me, cause I had other things at mind that were worse than how you felt. Now I fuckin’ know that it was wrong of me to do that. So here I am, apologizing.” His hands shot out and I nodded.

“Sure. Okay, so I have a question.” I finished folding the article of clothing in my hand and turned towards him. His eyebrows raised and I chuckled.

“Do you even know my name?” I noticed the question took him off guard and he just stared off into the distance. With a chuckle, I got back to work and waited for him to do something. 

“Quinn, or actually, Quinlyn.” This caught me off guard, and when I looked back at him, he was looking at me with a smug smile. My mind immediately began to wonder how he knew that. I don't really have any social media, so it had to have been my resumé. The corner of my lips started to turn up, but I quickly turned away, focusing on the laundry.

“Yeah, okay. Why are you here?” My head bobbed back and forth and he laughed.

“Well, seeing as my manager is in my ass about this, and I finally realized that your food was pretty great, I guess I'd come and see if you wanted to come back. I'll pay you extra.” With a smile, I turned to him and held my hands up.

“C’mon, why couldn't you have acted like this to begin with?” He simply shrugged and smirked.

“Eh, don't worry about paying me extra.” I waved him off and began to get busy once again.

“You wanna come with Woody and I for a walk?” The question took me off guard, and I stopped to look at him. He stood in front of me with his hands clasped in front of him. His eyes were looking at me and I nodded with a smile.   
“Sure.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter for you guys! Sorry if it was complete garbage, I'll do better next time. This was just kind of a filler chapter.


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